Strength Total Body Workouts Intermediate Full Body Strength Workout By Paige Waehner facebook linkedin Paige Waehner is a certified personal trainer, author of the "Guide to Become a Personal Trainer"; and co-author of "The Buzz on Exercise & Fitness." Learn about our editorial process Paige Waehner Reviewed by Reviewed by Heather Black on October 30, 2020 instagram Heather Black, CPT is a NASM-certified personal trainer and owner of Heather Black Fitness & Nutrition where she offers remote and in-person training and nutrition coaching. Learn about our Review Board Heather Black Updated on May 24, 2021 Print This workout is a progression from the beginner total body workout. It includes more advanced exercises and incorporates a barbell into many of the movements. If you don't have a barbell, you can continue to use dumbbells. Do this workout 2 to 3 non-consecutive days a week, taking at least one day of rest between workouts. For best weight loss results, combine this workout with regular cardio and a healthy, low-calorie diet. Precautions See your doctor before beginning this intermediate full body strength workout if you have any injuries or medical conditions. Equipment To perform the movements, you will need a barbell (medium to heavy) and various weighted dumbbells. How To To do this workout: Begin with a 5 to 10 minute warm-up of light cardio (walking in place, etc.). Perform each exercise for 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 16 repetitions, resting for 30 to 60 seconds between sets. Use enough weight that you can only complete the desired number of reps. For shorter workouts, split this into separate upper and lower body workouts. Combine this with an ab workout for a complete workout. An Easy-to-Understand Guide to Sets and Repetitions 1 Barbell Squats jacoblund / iStock Squats help build your quadriceps (the muscles on the front of your upper legs), glutes (buttocks), and hamstrings (the back of the upper leg). They are also one of the three most recommended exercises in sports training. To do them: Stand with feet wider than your shoulders with the barbell resting on the meaty part of your shoulders (on your trapezius muscles behind the neck). Bend your knees and, keeping your chest up, lower into a squat. Keep your abs in and engaged. Push through the heels to raise back up. Repeat for 16 reps. If you don't have a barbell, you can use dumbbells or squat with no weight at all. 2 Walking Lunges Getty Images Walking lunges help build the muscles in your lower body, from your calves all the way up to your hamstrings, quads, and glutes. This movement is also good for improving your balance, stability, and range of motion. To do walking lunges: Stand with your feet together. Step your right foot forward into a lunge, taking both knees to 90 degrees. Step together with your left foot, then step forward with the left foot into a lunge. Continue alternating legs for the length of the room. Repeat for 2 to 4 laps across the room. How to Do a Lunge: Step-by-Step 3 Deadlifts Westend61 / Getty Images The deadlift helps strengthen the muscles in your hips, thighs, and back. Studies indicate that this move is good for improving actions such as sprinting and long jumping, as well as increasing general sports performance. To do deadlifts: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, the weights in front of your thighs. Keeping your back flat and abs in, send your hips backward, like you've got your hands full of groceries and you're trying to shut the car door with your butt. Lower your torso toward the floor, keeping your hands close to your legs and your shoulders back. Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings to raise back up. All movement is from the hips, so don't round your back. Repeat for 16 reps. 4 Sumo Squats Byrdie Like with the regular squat, a sumo squat is good for building strength in the lower body. However, this squat is especially effective at strengthening the vastus lateralis (the largest quad muscle) and adductor longus (which extends between the thigh and hip). Here's how to do a sumo squat: Stand in a wide stance with your toes out at about a 45-degree angle. Hold a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell in both hands. Keeping the torso upright, bend the knees into a squat. Lower as far as you can, keeping the knees in line with the toes. Push into the heels to come back up. Repeat for 16 reps. How to Do a Sumo Squat and Other Squat Variations 5 Pushups Verywell / Ben Goldstein If you want an exercise that works your upper body and core, the pushup delivers. Research has also found that people who are able to do 40 pushups are at a lower risk of having a cardiovascular event than those who can complete 10 pushups or fewer. To do a pushup: Begin in a pushup position on your hands and toes, with your hands a bit wider than your shoulders. Keeping your abs braced, bend your elbows and lower into a pushup position, or until your elbows are about 90 degrees. (Don't sag in the middle.) Push back up to the starting position. Repeat for 16 to 20 reps. 6 Chest Press Paige Waehner The chest press is another exercise that is good for the upper body. This movement targets your pectorals—often referred to as "pecs" for short—which are the largest muscles in your chest. To do a chest press: Lie on a step, bench, or on the floor and hold the barbell a few inches above your chest. Keeping your trunk braced, exhale and push the weight up without locking your elbows. Lower and repeat for 16 reps. You can use dumbbells if you don't have a barbell handy. In fact, research has found that using dumbbells to do the chest press may even create less muscle soreness than using a barbell. Top 10 Chest Exercises 7 Barbell Rows Bojan656 / Getty Images The barbell row works primarily your upper and middle back, as well as the muscles surrounding your elbow joint. However, it also activates your lower body and core muscles to help stabilize and balance during the movement. To do a barbell row: Hold a barbell (or dumbbells) in front of your body. Send your hips backward, bringing the torso to about a 45-degree angle (or parallel to the floor if you want to make it harder). Your knees are slightly bent. Bend your arms and bring your elbows toward your ribcage, contracting the lat muscles (outer back) during the movement. Keep the abs braced. Lower the barbell (or dumbbells) and repeat for 16 reps. 8 Dumbbell Pullovers Ben Goldstein / Verywell Dumbbell pullovers target the muscles in your upper back. That makes this exercise good for building the same muscles you use lifting groceries or picking up your children and grandchildren. To do dumbbell pullovers: Lie face up on a bench or exercise ball (harder) and hold a medium-to-heavy dumbbell by one end with both hands, straight over your chest. Keeping your back on the bench and using control, slowly lower the weight behind your head with your arms slightly bent, until your arms are level with the bench. Squeeze your back to pull the weight back up to start. Repeat for 16 reps. Tips to Do a Pullover and Other Back Exercises 9 Side Step with an Arnold Press Kyle Hartman / Popsugar This exercise works the upper body and lower body at the same time. The step/squat movement strengthens your quads and glutes. The overhead press movement strengthens your shoulder muscles. To do the side step with Arnold press: Hold the weights at chest level, your palms facing in. Take a wide step out to the right, into a squat (as pictured above). As you step the right foot back to the center, press the dumbbells overhead while turning your palms forward. Lower the weights as you step out again, this time to the left. Continue with this movement, alternating sides. Repeat for 16 reps. You can also add a jump instead of a step for more intensity. Tips to Do an Arnold Press 10 Iron Cross Squats Photo © Ken Hurst - Fotolia.com This exercise is another total body strength training move. You'll feel your lower body muscles working when during the squat. You'll feel your shoulders, back, and arms when raising the arms and moving them into a cross position. To do iron cross squats: Hold the weights in front of your thighs. Squat as you lift the weights up into a front raise. Take the arms out to the sides as you stand up (as shown above), then lower them down. Repeat for 16 reps. 11 Triceps Dips Verywell / Ben Goldstein Triceps dips help strengthen the muscles on the back of the upper arm, giving them a firmer appearance. Your triceps also aid in elbow joint movement, which can add strength to pushing and pulling motions. To do triceps dips: Sit on a bench or chair with your hands resting next to your thighs. Push up and bring the hips out, with your butt just brushing the bench and your knees bent. Bend your elbows and lower your body down, staying close to the bench, until your elbows are at 90 degrees. Push up and repeat. Repeat for 16 reps. Straighten your legs for more intensity. 12 One-Arm Triceps Pushups Ben Goldstein There is a huge variety of exercises that can help strengthen your triceps. This pushup variation places greater emphasis on these muscles, relying on them to help raise your upper body off the floor. To do one-arm triceps pushups: Lie down on your left side and bend your knees slightly, keeping your hips and knees stacked. Wrap your left arm around your torso, so that your left hand is resting on the right side of your waist. Place your right hand on the floor in front of you, your palm parallel to the body. Squeeze your triceps and push your body up. Lower and repeat for 8 to 10 reps before switching sides. The 8 Most Effective Exercises for Your Triceps 13 Biceps Curls Verywell / Ben Goldstein Biceps curls are one exercise that is good for building the muscle on the front of your upper arm. That makes them beneficial for activities such as lifting grocery bags out of the trunk or pulling the cord on a pull-start mower. To do biceps curls: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a barbell (or dumbbells, as shown above) in front of your thighs, palms facing out. Bend your elbows and bring the weights toward your shoulders, without swinging them. In a controlled movement, lower the weights back down. Repeat for 16 reps. You can also use a kettlebell to perform these curls. Additional Kettlebell Exercises 14 Single-Leg Hammer Curls Ben Goldstein / Verywell This exercise involves performing hammer curls while standing on one leg. The benefit of this movement is that you engage your legs and core—in addition to your biceps—in an effort to stay balanced. So, it works more of your muscle groups. To do single-leg hammer curls: In a standing position, lift your left leg off the ground and balance on the right leg (as shown above). Let your arms hang at your sides, a dumbbell in each hand, your palms facing in. Bend your elbows and bring the weights toward your shoulders (without swinging your elbows). Lower back down and repeat 12 to 16 times before switching legs. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get exercise tips to make your workouts less work and more fun. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Harvard Medical School. Exercise 101: Don't skip the warm-up or cool-down. Published July 23, 2020. Del Vecchio L, Daewoud H, Green S. The health and performance benefits of the squat, deadlift, and bench press. Yoga Physical Ther. 2018;3(2):40-7. doi:10.15416/mojypt.2018.03.00042 Boyd J, Milton K. The undervalued lunge. National Strength and Conditioning Association. American Council on Exercise. Deadlift. Coratella G, Tornatore G, Caccavale F, Longo S, Esposito F, Ce E. The activation of gluteal, thigh, and lower back muscles in different squat variations performed by competitive bodybuilders: implications for resistance training. 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